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Hi John
If I were to ask you to name a nutrient that is SO vital to your health that you shouldn't be without it, what would you say?
- Vitamin C?
- The B vitamins?
- Omega-3 essential fatty acids?
- Protein?
- Calcium?
- Carbohydrates?
- Magnesium?
- Vitamin D?
But there are others that you might not think of...and they’re arguably just as important (and sometimes more important) than all of those listed above.
And the interesting thing is, these nutrients are not to help nourish big parts of your body like your organs, bones or muscles.
Instead they are nourishment for the littlest, tiniest microscopic inhabitants inside of you.
I'm talking about a category of nutrients called "prebiotics" which are nourishment for your friendly intestinal flora.
They need to eat too!
All living things need nourishment to survive, and the beneficial bacteria (probiotics) that live in your intestines and make up about 70% of your immune system are no exception. They need to be fed the nutrients that help make them thrive.
This is of utmost importance because there are literally trillions of probiotic bacteria inside of you.
And the more you nourish the probiotics in your gut, the better they will survive and ward off dangerous pathogens that you ingest, and the healthier you will help your immune system to be.
This not only means that you will be less likely to catch colds and flu, but it also means your body may be stronger to fight and resist major diseases like cancer.
And here's more great news...
Many prebiotics come from delicious foods and drinks!
Here are 9 foods & drinks that contain high amounts of prebiotics:
1- Fresh fruits and vegetables--unpeeled
Antioxidant compounds called phenols are found just under the skins of fruits and vegetables, and probiotics LOVE to eat phenols.
Plus, fruits and vegetables also contain soluble fiber which helps you in two ways.
First, your beneficial bacteria feed off the fiber. Then they produce short-chain fatty acids as wastes. These short-chain fatty acids slow the growth of dangerous bacteria such as E. coli.
Second, you can have a much easier time when nature calls.
Just be sure to go organic as much as possible to avoid ingesting a bunch of pesticides and herbicides along with your phenols.
To help control the cost, shop at your local farmer’s market and/or check out Community Supported Agriculture shares at: www.localharvent.org
2- Nut and seed mixes
A blend of nuts and seeds (without added sweeteners like honey or brown sugar) is the perfect prebiotic. Nuts and seeds are great sources of fiber, protein and dietary phenols.
Just make sure to stay away from mixes that have candies or yogurt-covered nuts, because they add refined sugar (which ends up being food for the HARMFUL bacteria in your gut). That defeats the purpose.
3- Dark berry juice
Juices that contain good levels of dietary phenols include those made from blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, pomegranates, cherries, and purple grapes.
The trick here is that you must be sure you're buying 100% real JUICE -- not a "juice drink" which can contain little or no real juice. Read the label if you're not sure. If the first and second ingredients are water and sugar, forget it. It's not juice.
The only exception is cranberry juice cocktail. Pure cranberry juice is extremely tart for the average palate, and the added water and sugar make it tasty without completely compromising the quality of the phenols from the cranberry juice.
4- Herbs and spices
Practically every herb and spice contains dietary phenols (and they're alkaline -- another big PLUS for your body), so spice things up all you want!
The herb with the highest phenol count is oregano, so if you like Italian food, you're in luck. It's also delicious sprinkled over shrimp scampi or sautéed fish or chicken, or made in a Greek salad dressing with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
Fresh herbs and spices have more dietary phenols than dried, but both are good food for your beneficial bacteria.
5- Oats
Oats are loaded with beta-glucan, which is a soluble fiber and an excellent prebiotic.
But all oats are not created equal! Stay away from those flavored instant oatmeal packets because they're typically loaded with refined sugar. You don't want to turn your meal for your friendly bacteria into a feast for the UNfriendly ones.
And if gluten is a concern for you, be sure to look for oats that are labeled gluten free. Although oats don't inherently contain gluten, they are frequently processed in the same plants as gluten grains and cross contamination is possible.
6- Legumes
Legumes include beans, lentils and peanuts. They're loaded with soluble fiber (as well as protein and minerals).
The dietary phenol count of beans is one of the highest per weight of any food in existence!
So go ahead and make some split pea soup, a batch of hummus or a pot of chili and feed your friendly microbes.
Here’s an easy and delicious recipe for you to try:
Lentil Soup
Serves: 8
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
- 5 stalks celery, chopped
- 6 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
- 3 quarts vegetable or chicken broth or stock
- 1 pound green lentils
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced or 1 14 ½ ounce can
diced tomatoes in juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Grated parmesan or Romano cheese for topping
Add broth, lentils and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35-40 minutes.
Transfer 2 cups soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return soup puree to pot; season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese if desired.
7- Tea
Dietary phenols are extracted from tea leaves during the brewing process. It's best to use boiling water for brewing, but once the tea is brewed, it can be served hot or iced without compromising the phenol count.
Green tea has the highest phenol content, with black tea a close second. Just be sure not to add too much sweetener as sugar will nourish the bad guys in your gut.
Note that phenols are NOT found in herbal teas....so although they're good for you in many other ways, don't count on them to be a source of prebiotics.
8- Red wine
I just made your day, didn't I?
Moderate consumption of red wine (1-2 glasses) not only helps reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, but red wine also has one of the highest phenol contents of any food or drink.
That's because red wine is made not only with the pulp of the grapes, but also the skin and seeds. White wine uses only the pulp, so it's not beneficial like red.
And ultimate dream come true for many:
9- Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate and cocoa powder are excellent sources of probiotic-nourishing dietary phenols. (Not so for milk chocolate because its processing decreases the phenol content.)
The higher the cocoa content, the higher the phenols.
Now, this is NOT permission to have a Hershey's breakfast, Nestlé’s lunch and Godiva dinner. But an occasional treat of a nice piece of dark chocolate will make your tongue dance AND your beneficial bacteria happy.
There's strength in numbers
In addition to nourishing your friendly bacteria, it's also important to make sure to have a strong population of them to begin with.
SO many factors
other than your intake of prebiotics can affect your population of
probiotics--stress, medications (especially antibiotics and antacids),
toxins in the environment and lack of sleep can take their toll on your gut
microbes.So it's important to supplement with a high-quality multi-strain probiotic formula like Super Shield.
- http://www.bluerockholistics.com/product/pross.asp
Super Shield's 13 strains of feisty probiotic bacteria will help ensure that your army of good guys and your immune system stays strong.
And since prebiotics are SO important, Super Shield even comes with its own prebiotic!
That's right. Each Super Shield capsule comes with a healthy dose of Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) which are a type of fiber found naturally in plants like asparagus, bananas, garlic, leeks and onions.
FOS have been credited with providing health benefits like lowering triglyceride and cholesterol levels, stabilizing blood sugar, improving mineral absorption and insulin response.
FOS are ideal prebiotics because they reach your large intestine virtually untouched since humans don't have the stomach enzymes to break them down.
That means a full, tasty buffet for your friendly bacteria to feast on once the FOS reach their destination.
When you take care of your friendly bacteria, nourish them the way they need to be and help keep their numbers strong, trust me, they will return the favor handsomely in ways that you can’t even imagine!
To your health,
Sherry Brescia
PPS: The recipe book in the Great Taste No Pain system is loaded with delicious dishes, many of which feature prebiotic foods.
- http://www.greattastenopain.com/great.asp
PPPS: Mike’s feeling better and loving a healthy diet!
(I call you mom Sherry- there is a lot of love in your plan) I just wanted to thank you. I am 41 and I have been having problems for years, at least the past 20 or so. I just recently went through a gallbladder surgery and as luck would have it, a few days later back in for appendix removal. Two operations in two weeks, what a mess.
After the surgeries I was in such bad shape digestively that life had gotten very difficult. I had made many return trips to the doctor since the operations, and more testing, but they were unable to find anything wrong (at least they were unable to find what they were looking for). It got so bad that I just about quite eating for fear of the outcome- pardon the pun!
I have always had painful digestion, attacks and unpredictable movements. I have been told by doctors that there was nothing they could do, and that I probably had IBS. I had been tested for allergies, infections, the works, told I had reflux disease, but never told why or how to improve my condition. A lot of time and no results, so I just learned to live with it....until now.
I was desperate, so I began browsing the web for info regarding the issues I was having after my gallbladder and appendix surgeries. I came across your website and it made good sense to me.
I tried your Great Taste No Pain plan and I feel great. No pain, no surprises, and the food is awesome. I can't believe how good everything tastes. I feel full on the first helping, I feel relaxed and comfortable for the first time in years. I have found a whole new joy with eating I never knew. If I ever meet you in person you deserve a huge hug!
I have never come across a program that makes it so easy to follow. I have tried a few diets over the years and looked into other plans, but everything was always so confusing and the results sucked. My wife and my live in grandmother are enjoying the change as well.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Why don't doctors ever ask the important questions when working with patients? All they ask is what drug would you like? Seems to be the norm, that’s all I ever got from our health care system.
I can't wait to see what changes take place over the long run, thanks again,
Mike
Haven't taken the Great Taste No Pain test drive? Why not? Get over to
- http://www.greattastenopain.com/freereports/ and feel the power of Great Taste No Pain.
Orders: 1-888-724-4366
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